Surah At-Tawbah, Ayah 8 (9:8)

ٱلتَّوْبَة

كَيْفَ وَإِن يَظْهَرُوا۟ عَلَيْكُمْ لَا يَرْقُبُوا۟ فِيكُمْ إِلًّا وَلَا ذِمَّةً ۚ يُرْضُونَكُم …

Quran 9:8 is ayah 8 of Surah At-Tawbah (“The Repentance”), a Medinan surah of 129 ayahs. It is in Juz 10, on page 188 of the Madani Mushaf.

9:8
كَيْفَوَإِنيَظْهَرُوا۟عَلَيْكُمْلَايَرْقُبُوا۟فِيكُمْإِلًّاوَلَاذِمَّةً ۚيُرْضُونَكُمبِأَفْوَٰهِهِمْوَتَأْبَىٰقُلُوبُهُمْوَأَكْثَرُهُمْفَٰسِقُونَ٨
kayfa wa-in yaẓharū ʿalaykum lā yarqubū fīkum illan walā dhimmatan yur'ḍūnakum bi-afwāhihim watabā qulūbuhum wa-aktharuhum fāsiqūna

How [can there be a treaty] while, if they gain dominance over you, they do not observe concerning you any pact of kinship or covenant of protection? They satisfy you with their mouths, but their hearts refuse [compliance], and most of them are defiantly disobedient.(8)

Word by word

  1. كَيْفَkayfaHow
  2. وَإِنwa-inwhile, if
  3. يَظْهَرُوا۟yaẓharūthey gain dominance
  4. عَلَيْكُمْʿalaykumover you
  5. لَاlāthey do not regard (the ties)
  6. يَرْقُبُوا۟yarqubūthey do not regard (the ties)
  7. فِيكُمْfīkumwith you
  8. إِلًّاillan(of) kinship
  9. وَلَاwalāand not
  10. ذِمَّةً ۚdhimmatancovenant of protection
  11. يُرْضُونَكُمyur'ḍūnakumThey satisfy you
  12. بِأَفْوَٰهِهِمْbi-afwāhihimwith their mouths
  13. وَتَأْبَىٰwatabābut refuse
  14. قُلُوبُهُمْqulūbuhumtheir hearts
  15. وَأَكْثَرُهُمْwa-aktharuhumand most of them
  16. فَٰسِقُونَfāsiqūna(are) defiantly disobedient

Tafsir (commentary) of 9:8

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English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Allah encourages the believers to show enmity to the idolators andto dissociate from them, affirming that they do not deserve to enjoy a covenant of peace, because of their Shirk in Allah and disbelief in Allah's Messenger ﷺ.

Allah encourages the believers to show enmity to the idolators and to dissociate from them, affirming that they do not deserve to enjoy a covenant of peace, because of their Shirk in Allah and disbelief in Allah's Messenger ﷺ If these disbelievers have a chance to defeat Muslims, they will cause great mischief, leave nothing unharmed, disregard the ties of kinship and the sanctity of their vows. `Ali bin Abi Talhah, `Ikrimah and Al-`Awfi narrated that Ibn `Abbas said, "Ill means kinship, while, Dhimmah means covenant." Ad-Dahhak and As-Suddi said similarly.

Read the full Surah At-Tawbah